Clarke sounds off on violence; Barrett aide fires back

Speaking out after several reports of deadly violence in Milwaukee in the past week, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. said Tuesday the incidents are a "grim reminder of how dangerous the City of Milwaukee continues to be."

The comment provoked a response from Patrick Curley, Mayor Tom Barrett's chief of staff, who said Clarke's statements had very little staying power.

In a press release, Clarke said that when he was told of the "carnage, I thought they were referring to yet another violent weekend in Chicago."

Clarke did not single out any city official by name, but said some of them had attacked him for his "honest assessment" of the violence.

According to Milwaukee police, five people have died in violent-related incidents since Nov. 21. One of the five was an armed robber who was shot by a store customer. The shooter in that case acted in self-defense, so the shooting is not considered a homicide.

One of the five shootings involved Daniel J. Kleinmann, 28, of Germantown, who was shot by a Milwaukee police officer after the officer believed the man had just committed an armed robbery. No weapon has been found, and the officer, identified as Officer Shawn Pecoraro, has been placed on administrative duty.

In his statement, Clarke was critical of money spent on social programs aimed at ending crime, poverty and unemployment. He said the money had the community "in the same, if not worse, place than we were before these misguided initiatives.

"What are now viewed as old-fashioned values, such as functioning families with socially-adjusted fathers involved in the lives of their children, better schools, no excuses for underachievement, positive role models and consequences for unwanted behavior, continues to be the best antidote out of this morass, not gun control and more government," Clarke said.

Curley was quick to react.

“If David had something concrete to offer, I’m sure the Mayor and Police Chief would be more than willing to work with him. The facts are that David has very little staying power. In 2003, he bailed on the truancy abatement program. After touting his GRIP program, an effort to get illegal guns off the street, he dropped it hook, line and sinker.

"He was adamantly opposed to concealed carry because, as he said, 'there are better ways to fight crime than to flood the streets of Milwaukee with dangerous weapons. Now he supports concealed carry and does next to nothing about getting dangerous guns off the streets. He failed to collect DNA samples from over 500 inmates and couldn’t locate close to 200 of them to get the DNA samples. Last year, by his own admission, he suspended sheriff patrols in County Parks, including those parks within the city. David needs to learn that the lifespan of a juicy press release is much shorter than the commitment needed to tackle serious, violent crime."

The city is currently negotiating with Milwaukee County on a plan for the city to take over all 911 calls placed in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors has endorsed a plan to pay the city $463,000 to handle those calls for a year, but Barrett wants a three-year deal.